Globalization and Global English: Panacea or poison for ELT in Taiwan?

I-Chung Ke

Yuan Ze University, Taiwan

Abstract

This paper deals with the interrelationship between globalization and English education in Taiwan. First the differences between internationalization and globalization are examined, using trade, law, people, and culture as examples. The differences have fundamental implications for ELT in Taiwan. With the distinctions between globalization and internationalization in mind, the meanings of English as a (the) global language, or Global English (GE), are then discussed. Different theoretical perspectives on GE include the rightist/functional perspective that conceives of GE as a disinterested means used for any end and the leftist/critical perspective that casts GE as a pernicious means used for political (often exploitive) ends, as well as the perspectives of those who conceptualize GE in other ways between these two polar perspectives. The focus then turns to the impact of globalization on Taiwan’s ELT. While some ELT teachers, scholars, and policy makers expect globalization to solve some major problems in Taiwan’s ELT by providing a motivating linguistic context for learning and teaching, others fear that GE may have detrimental effects on students’ English proficiency and identity development. The argument here is that globalization should be the catalyst to facilitate the transformation of Taiwan’s English education, mainly by incorporating the concepts in global education.